Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins

Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins (MACAM) is a private art museum in Lisbon that opened to the public in March 2025. It presents a collection of Portuguese modern art and both national and international contemporary art, assembled by the collector Armando Martins.

What is it?

MACAM was created to share with visitors a collection that Armando Martins began building in 1974 and still expands today. It contains more than 600 works, including some of the major names of modern and contemporary art. Around 215 pieces are on view at a time, so the display is a curated selection rather than a full survey.

Where is it, and what is the building?

The museum occupies a large eighteenth-century palace that has been restored and extended. Historically the building is known as the Palace of the Counts of Vila Franca, later the Palace of the Counts of Ribeira Grande. Since it was built in the early 1700s it has been transformed many times and has served a variety of purposes. Today it stands in the Alcântara-Belém Art District, one of the main cultural and tourist areas of Lisbon.

A museum and a hotel

An unusual feature is the link with the five-star MACAM Hotel, the first hotel in Portugal to display works from a collection in its rooms and shared spaces. The whole complex covers about 13,000 square meters, of which roughly 2,000 are exhibition space.

Who is it for?

MACAM suits anyone who enjoys contemporary art and wants something in Lisbon beyond the classic monuments. Its location makes it easy to combine with a day around Belém. Displays change, since only part of the collection is shown at once.

Frequently asked questions

When did MACAM open? It officially opened to the public in March 2025.

Whose collection is it? The private collection of Armando Martins, a Portuguese entrepreneur who started collecting in 1974.

How many works are on display? About 215 pieces from a collection of more than 600.

Is there a hotel in the building? Yes, the five-star MACAM Hotel operates in the same historic building and also displays works from the collection.

What should I check before visiting? Opening hours and ticket prices are best confirmed on the museum's official website, as they may change.

In short

An eighteenth-century palace, fifty years of collecting and a partnership with a hotel make MACAM one of Lisbon's more interesting new cultural venues. It deserves a place on your list if you are curious about Portuguese and international art of the 20th and 21st centuries.